1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an IC card.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An IC card includes a board on which electronics components having an integrated circuit, such as a memory device or the like, are mounted. The IC card also includes metallic panels covering the board, and a connector at the top and bottom sides of the IC card. In a type of IC card, a connector is provided for connecting an electronic circuit constructed on the board to a system equipment. In a different type of IC card, the top panel is expanded relative to the card's peripheral, so as to mount various types of electronics components on the board and construct a complicated circuit. This type of IC card may provide a second connector at the opposing side of the first connector for connecting the electronic circuit constructed on the board to system equipment. The above-mentioned two types of IC card are called as type 1 and type 2, respectively, according to JEIDA (Japan Electronic Industry Development Association) standards.
The IC card of type 1 is inserted into system equipment such as a computer via a connector, so that a function of the system equipment can be expanded; for example, by increasing memory capacity. The IC card of type 2 can be connected further through the rear connector to another personal computer or a telephone line, so that it can be used for various functions.
Recently, IC cards tend to be used for systems of a larger scale and for systems having many functions. Therefore, a demand exists for IC cards capable of being used for various systems. The IC card of type 2 having the rear connector beside the main connector can be connected to other equipment through the rear connector. However, even in this IC card, because the rear connector is incorporated in a resin frame, space constraints limit the number of pins thereof to about 30 pins at most. Therefore, even if the rear connector is connected to another computer or a telephone line, function is limited. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an IC card compatible with various systems and for a variety of functions.